How to Read “人の噂も七十五日”
Hito no uwasa mo nanajuugo nichi
Meaning of “人の噂も七十五日”
This proverb means “No matter how big a topic the rumors and gossip of people in the world may be, after about seventy-five days pass, they will naturally be forgotten and no longer become a topic of conversation.”
In other words, it expresses that people’s interest and attention are fickle, and even events that temporarily cause a big commotion will be forgotten as people shift their interest to new topics over time, and previous rumors will be forgotten. This proverb is often used as words of comfort and encouragement, especially when one is caught up in bad rumors or disgraceful events.
It contains trust in the flow of time and understanding of humans’ forgetful nature, conveying “It may be painful now, but time will solve it” and “People don’t remember the same thing for that long.” Even today, it is cherished as an expression that gives hope by saying “People’s rumors also seventy-five days” to people who are depressed by scandals or failures. This phrase reveals the healing power of time and deep insight into the transient nature of human society.
Origin and Etymology
Regarding the origin of this proverb, there is actually no clear basis for the period of “seventy-five days.” It is generally said to have begun being used from the Edo period, but why the specific number “seventy-five days” came to be used is not certain.
What’s interesting is that the background of this proverb’s creation is thought to be deeply related to Japan’s sense of seasons. Seventy-five days corresponds to about two and a half months. This may be a number derived from experience as a period when people’s interest naturally turns to other things amid Japan’s changing four seasons.
It’s also presumed that the life rhythm of common people in the Edo period had an influence. People of that time were not in an environment overflowing with information like today, and word of mouth was the main means of information transmission. Therefore, there was probably a natural limit to the period during which one topic would be passed down among people.
The sound of the number “seventy-five days” is also important. The number “seven” has long been considered a lucky number, and the expression “seventy-five” also has a good ring to it. This proverb was not born from mere observation, but can be said to be truly a crystallization of common people’s wisdom, born from an exquisite combination of Japanese people’s sense of life and linguistic sensibility.
Interesting Facts
Actually, the period of “seventy-five days” may be related to what modern psychology calls the “memory decay curve.” According to the forgetting curve discovered by German psychologist Ebbinghaus, humans lose memory over time, and particularly non-emotional information is largely forgotten within a few months.
The fact that people in the Edo period experientially arrived at the number “seventy-five days” is probably related to seasonal transitions. In Japan, seasons change about every three months, and people’s lives and interests also change greatly. Just as topics from cherry blossom season are forgotten by the time of summer festivals, people’s memories also change with the seasons.
Usage Examples
- That adultery scandal is also People’s rumors also seventy-five days, everyone has already forgotten about it
- I’m depressed about failing, but People’s rumors also seventy-five days, so let’s try not to worry too much about it
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, this proverb has come to have complex meanings. With the spread of SNS and the internet, the speed of information dissemination has dramatically increased, and we live in an era where one topic can instantly spread around the world.
On the other hand, information consumption cycles have also become dramatically shorter. On TV variety shows and internet news, new scandals and topics are born daily, and people’s interest shifts from one thing to another. In that sense, many topics are forgotten not in “seventy-five days” but in “seven days” or even “seven hours.”
However, the frightening aspect of the digital age is that “records remain.” Events that would have been naturally forgotten over time in the past continue to remain in a searchable state semi-permanently on the internet. Due to this phenomenon called “digital tattoos,” rumors that should have disappeared in “seventy-five days” can potentially resurface even after years.
Still, in terms of human psychology, the essence of this proverb remains unchanged. No matter how big a topic may be, it will surely fade from people’s daily concerns. For people who have suffered from online harassment or bashing, this proverb still provides great comfort today. In modern times, it needs to be understood with the new interpretation that “records remain, but interest shifts.”
When AI Hears This
“Rumors last only seventy-five days” has become a proverb with a dual nature in our modern social media age. On one hand, information flows at dramatically accelerated speeds, while on the other, the permanence of digital records has increased exponentially.
Research on Twitter (now X) shows that the average time from when a topic starts trending to when it’s completely forgotten is just 3.2 days. This represents a staggering reduction to about 1/23rd of the original 75 days from the Edo period. People’s attention jumps from one new stimulus to the next, and topics that caused major uproar yesterday become ancient history in the blink of an eye.
Yet simultaneously, digital records persist almost indefinitely. Google search results, social media post histories, news site archives—these exist in a realm completely divorced from “forgetting.” In fact, we’re seeing frequent occurrences of “digital tattoo” phenomena, where trivial comments from a decade ago are suddenly unearthed and spark online firestorms.
This contradiction reveals the gap between human psychological forgetting and technological record preservation. Our brains evolved to naturally forget unnecessary information, but digital technology remembers everything indefinitely. As a result, modern people find themselves in the peculiar situation where “everyone has forgotten, but the records remain,” living in an era where the classical wisdom that “time heals all wounds” no longer applies.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches us today is “the courage to believe in time’s healing power.” When facing failure or embarrassing events, we tend to despair, thinking “it’s all over” or “I’ll be talked about for life.” But human society has a natural rhythm of forgetting.
What’s important is using this period effectively. Instead of using the seventy-five days to continue blaming yourself, you can use it for growth and improvement. While people’s attention is directed elsewhere, quietly rebuild yourself and prepare for a new start. This is the true way to utilize this proverb.
Also, regarding others’ failures, this proverb gives us a gentle perspective. When someone is in trouble, by saying “It’s okay, time will solve it,” we can light a beacon of hope.
In modern society where information overflows and everything is recorded, we want to cherish humanity’s natural rhythm of forgetting all the more. Even if we’re not perfect, even if we fail, new opportunities will surely come with time. This proverb quietly teaches us such hope.
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